The battery of my recently acquired '96 C280 Sport does not seem to hold charge even I drive it for thirty minutes or morer at a time. If the car sits in the garage for a couple of days, the battery will start to weaken to the point that I need a jump. How can I tell if the battery is at its last leg? I don't mind getting a new one but I just want to make sure it is not caused by other problem. Can an autmotive shop such as Sears or the dealer do some checking on the battery before I pay for a new one? It is now on a trickle charger. Any help will be appreciated.

__________________
95 R129
04 Infiniti G35.5 BS
10 X204

Your battery is already dead, no need for further checks. If it is a Mercedes battery, it could still be original, they last well. I replaced mine with an Optima battery, a little more maybe $120 to $150 -- but they are the very best.

__________________
2008 S550
2010 GLK350
1997 E420 (retired)
2005 CLK500 (retired)

I recently got a new interstate battery for my 190e. go to the interstate website and get a battery from one of the stores listed on their site. print out the $10 rebate!

The original battery will have a year of manufacture stamped on one of the battery posts. If it is the original battery, it has done its duty and should be given a respectful retirement, IMHO.
Dan

I replace mine with an AC Delco 5yr warranty battery and it was build to fit my battery compartment in my R 129.$65.00 US. I had always gotten my monies worth with this brand ,they come standard from factory on Chrysler and other vehicles and the last one last me 6 1/2 years in my Jeep and it came from the factory. This is just a suggestion base on experience.

I called the dealer just to check how much it will cost for a new battery, and they quoted me $278.00, battery plus labor

Last time I bought one from them for my SL was $166.00 without charging me installation. But the Service Advisor told me not to come to the dealer. He advised me to call the Road Side Service and they won't charge for the labor, plus they will even re-code my radio and re-sync the windows for free.

So if you buy one from other places, how do you guys re-code the radio and sync the windows?

__________________
95 R129
04 Infiniti G35.5 BS
10 X204